Stent for introducing into human body cavities, in particular into blood vessels

Abstract

The invention relates to a stent ( 1 ) for introducing into human body cavities, in particular into blood vessels, comprising a proximal first end to be introduced ( 2 ) and a distal final end to be introduced ( 3 ), a sleeve-like stent body ( 4 ) made of biocompatible material, and at least one support wire ( 5 ) provided as a support body within the stent body ( 4 ), the support wire ( 5 ), when the stent is in the tensioned state, resting against the inside of the stent body ( 4 ) in the shape of a spiral and the stent body ( 4 ), when the stent is in a compressed state, being collapsed and expandable into a tensioned state. The proximal end of the support wire ( 5 ) in the region of the proximal first end to be introduced ( 2 ) is firmly attached to the stent body ( 4 ) and the distal end of the support wire, when the stent is in the compressed state, extending from the distal final end ( 3 ) of the stent body ( 4 ) to be introduced. The support wire ( 5 ) is a shape-retaining spring wire which in the compressed state is pre-tensioned at least in the region of the stent body ( 4 ) and is drawn into an elongated straight line and contracts in the longitudinal direction into the spiral shape at least in sections upon closing of the spring and expands radially in the form of a spiral in order to effect a radial expansion of the contracted stent body ( 4 ) until it reaches the tensioned state.

1. Stent for introducing into human body cavities with a proximal first end to be introduced and a distal final end to be introduced, with a sleeve-like stent body made of biocompatible material and with at least one support wire provided on the inside of the stent body, wherein the support wire rests in a spiral shape on the inside in a tensioned state of the stent, wherein the stent body is collapsed in a compressed insertion state of the stent and is expandable into the tensioned state, wherein the support wire is securely connected at its proximal end in the region of the proximal first end to be introduced to the stent body and is led, with its distal end in the compressed insertion state, out of the distal final end to be introduced of the stent body, wherein the support wire is embodied as a shape-retentive spring wire which is pretensioned in the compressed insertion state at least in the region of the stent body and is drawn into a stretched-out straight linear shape over an entire length of the stent body and which contracts in the longitudinal direction upon springing open at least in sections into the spiral shape and expands radially in a spiral shape in order to effect a radial expansion of the collapsed stent body until the tensioned state is reached, wherein a support wire section of the support wire which extends inside the stent body from the distal final end to be introduced to the proximal first end to be introduced of the stent body has substantially the same length as the stent body in the compressed insertion state of the stent, with the support wire fastened to an interior fastening ring provided at the proximal first end to be introduced of the stent body and with the support wire freely movable in the axial direction guided in the interior of the stent body, wherein a plurality of guide sections are provided in the inner surface of the stent body to guide the support wire, wherein the guide sections are loops in which the support wire is guided such that it can be moved freely in the axial direction, wherein a reinforcement is provided which extends on the inside of the stent body in the longitudinal direction of the stent body, wherein the reinforcement is a non-spring-expanding wire and wherein in the stretched state of the support wire, the coil diameter is less than 0.5 cm, or less than 0.2 cm. 
     
     
       2. Stent as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the support wire springs into the spiral shape over the entire length of the stent body. 
     
     
       3. Stent as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein, in the tensioned state, the distal end of the support wire is arranged on the inside of the stent body and is not fastened. 
     
     
       4. Stent as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein, in the tensioned state, the support wire is securely connected to the stent body only at the proximal first end to be introduced. 
     
     
       5. Stent as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein, in the tensioned state, the spiral-shaped support body formed from the support wire in the tensioned state by springing open has a coil spacing of between 0.2 cm to 2 cm. 
     
     
       6. Stent as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein, in the tensioned state, the spiral-shaped support body formed form the support wire in the tensioned state by springing open has a coil spacing of between 0.5 cm to 1 cm. 
     
     
       7. Stent as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein, in the compressed insertion state, the stent body has length of 5 cm to 30 cm. 
     
     
       8. Stent as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein, in the compressed insertion state, the stent body has a length of 8 cm to 15 cm. 
     
     
       9. Stent as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the support wire is embodied to spring open into the shape of an Archimedean or a logarithmic spiral. 
     
     
       10. Stent as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the support wire is pretensioned radially into the spiral shape in the tensioned state after springing open. 
     
     
       11. Stent as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the support wire has at the distal end a gripping section for a gripper device. 
     
     
       12. Stent as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the stent body has projections on the outside. 
     
     
       13. Stent as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the stent body has a membrane with at least one of high porosity and high surface roughness at least on the external surface. 
     
     
       14. Stent for introducing into human body cavities with a proximal first end to be introduced and a distal final end to be introduced, with a sleeve-like stent body made of biocompatible material and with at least one support wire provided on the inside of the stent body, wherein the support wire rests in a spiral shape on the inside in a tensioned state of the stent, wherein the stent body is collapsed in a compressed insertion state of the stent and is expandable into the tensioned state, wherein the support wire is securely connected at its proximal end in the region of the proximal first end to be introduced to the stent body and is led, with its distal end in the compressed insertion state, out of the distal final end to be introduced of the stent body, wherein the support wire is embodied as a shape-retentive spring wire which is pretensioned in the compressed insertion state at least in the region of the stent body and is drawn into a stretched-out straight linear shape over an entire length of the stent body and which contracts in the longitudinal direction upon springing open at least in sections into the spiral shape and expands radially in a spiral shape in order to effect a radial expansion of the collapsed stent body until the tensioned state is reached, wherein the support wire section of the support wire which extends inside the stent body from the distal final end to be introduced to the proximal first end to be introduced of the stent body has substantially the same length as the stent body in the compressed insertion state of the stent, with the support wire fastened to an interior fastening ring provided at the proximal first end to be introduced of the stent body and with the support wire freely movable in the axial direction guided in the interior of the stent body, wherein at least one reinforcement is provided which extends on the inside of the stent body in the longitudinal direction of the stent body, wherein the at least one reinforcement is a non-spring-expanding wire, and wherein in the stretched state of the support wire, the coil diameter is less than 0.5 cm, or less than 0.2 cm. 
     
     
       15. Stent for introducing into human body cavities with a proximal first end to be introduced and a distal final end to be introduced, with a sleeve-like stent body made of biocompatible material and with at least one support wire provided on the inside of the stent body, wherein the support wire rests on the inside of the stent body in combination of spiral shaped portions and substantially stretched out linear portions when in a tensioned state of the stent, the spiral shaped portions and substantially stretched out linear portions alternating along a length of the stent body, wherein the stretched out linear portions extend parallel to the longitudinal axis of the stent body and the spiral shaped portions extend transverse to the longitudinal axis of the stent body, wherein the stent body is collapsed in a compressed insertion state of the stent and is expandable into the tensioned state, wherein the support wire is securely connected at its proximal end in the region of the proximal first end to be introduced to the sent body and is led, with its distal end in the compressed insertion state, out of the distal final end to be introduced of the stent body, wherein the support wire is embodied as a shape-retentive spring wire which is pretensioned in the compressed insertion state at least in the region of the sent body and is drawn into a stretched-out straight linear shape and which contracts in the longitudinal direction upon springing open at least in sections into the spiral shape and expands radially in a spiral shape in order to effect a radial expansion of the collapsed stent body until the tensioned state is reached, wherein a support wire section of the support wire which extends inside the stent body from the distal final end to be introduced to the proximal first end to be introduced of the stent body has substantially the same length as the stent body in the compressed insertion state of the stent, with the support wire fastened to an interior fastening ring provided at the proximal first end to be introduced of the stent body and with the support wire freely movable in the axial direction guided in the interior of the stent body, wherein the support wire does not spring into the spiral shape over its entire length, but rather only in sections, so that there are spiral-shaped sections and substantially straight sections of the support wire on the inside of the stent body after the springing open of the support wire, and wherein a reinforcement is provided which extends on the inside of the stent body in the longitudinal direction of the stent body, wherein the reinforcement is a non-spring-expanding wire.